#5 Taos, New Mexico
Single Day Adult Window Rate: $98
Three Day Adult Online Rate: $210 ($70/day)
Taos is a mountain that wears its southwest hippie heritage proudly. It has challenging terrain, snow that borders on great, azure blue skies, and remarkably few visitors. Some are put off by the three-hour drive from Albuquerque, but think of it as crowd control.
You’ll find affordable on-mountain dining with a German twist at The Bavarian, and heaps of low-cost Mexican in town at places like Tim’s Stray Dog Cantina.
Where to Stay: The Columbine Inn (doubles from $150) is a few minutes by free shuttle to the slopes, and there is plenty of action on VRBO and Airbnb under $200.